Two Matt’s, One Review: ‘Signal Lost’ – Television Villain.

Television Villain – Bath, England, United Kingdom.

Editor’s/Co-author’s note: Having both seen Television Villain play live, and having met vocalist Dan Stothard on numerous occasions, myself an fellow MF writer, Matthew Mansell, decided we would combine efforts to review the band’s debut EP, Signal Lost.  It’s not something we do on Musically Fresh often, however, we’ve found some time and we’ve sat down, and this was the result. – MS.

(Above) Photo credit goes to Rachael Leona – Click Here
(Cover) Photo credit goes to  Paul James – Click Here

MS:

‘Fall Apart’ is your number one. You may remember our single review from earlier in the year, so if you wish to read about it in more detail, please, Click Here. Back to the task at hand, however. Personally, ‘Fall Apart’ was an excellent choice for a lead single and example of sound output, strongly Post-Punk but showcasing the band’s other influences.

‘I Know’, despite its mid-pace, this track is anthemic and hook-laden it its own way. The deep rumbling bass of the intro and verses really makes the song, although it has to be said that it couldn’t hold its own without the flirtatious guitar-work. Combined, they make for satisfying listening.

‘Walk’ immediately hits you with crushing riffs. A chunky Alternative Rock song that’s clearly been spending a lot of time with Pearl Jam. ‘Shade’ begins in a more sombre manner. Stothard’s vocals remind me of Hot Water Music‘s Chuck Ragan in this one, and coupled with the slow groove from the rest of the band, it works well.

Television Villain rode in on the best and rode out the same way. ‘Enemy’ comes in a close second of the two best tracks (funny that, I don’t do numbers), and really shows off. Vocals go from sombre to full throttle seamlessly, dirty Punk-Rock basslines are chugging and a lead guitar that at 1:03 uses “Face-melt” is – trust me on this one – super-effective.

MM:

‘Shade’ is actually my least favourite song on the EP. It feels a little classic Rock, a little 70’s and perhaps sticks out a little more than it should on a five track EP. So if anything, I dislike it because it skews the landscape that Television Villain have been building so far .

Saying that, Stothard’s growl in the chorus is enjoyable and the choruses are catchy in that “classic dad-Rock guilty pleasure” kinda way, which is sure to ignite comments from your mates like, ‘why do you always put this song on?‘. Easy answer, I’ve had a pint or two and am keen to make myself known at the jukebox. However, the breakdown is actually a little bit like a modern Muse breakdown/build-up, which really caught me surprisingly off guard.

‘Enemy’ though, is my personal favourite, I actually woke up with it in my head the other morning. True love. It’s a floppy haired Grunge banger that almost juxtaposes ‘Shade’, shunning the previous track into the shadows.

The rhythm is solid and I didn’t even take much notice of the “face-melting” until MS pointed it out, but yeah, I guess that’s a little “un-Grunge”, but who needs rules when you are your own worst enemy? ‘Enemy’ is a bright burning star of dirty energy. I also like the closed backing vocal in the right speaker towards the end. It’s muffled, losing signal and I liked the bookended static opening and closing ‘Signal Lost’.

Proper job. Done right.

That’s all from the two Matt’s for now, and it wasn’t as dirty as the title suggested – Maybe next time…

Find the band and their music via the following links and info:

• Find the band on Facebook – Here – for televisual villainy an general cheeky tomfoolery.
• SoundCloud – Here  – for a few cheeky music tracks.
• If you wanted a hard-copy of the EP, it is simply a case of messaging them on Facebook and having a cheeky ask. Cheeky.

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